Gear: Fly Patrol pant and...
Gear: Fly Patrol pant and jersey, Switch gloves
Helmet: Fly Platinum LX Renaissance
Boots: Alpinestars Tech 2
Goggles: Smith Intake'
Polaris Sportsman 400 H.O.
Among the first things you'll notice about the Polaris 400 when compared to the other machines are the sporty looks and lack of tubular steel racks (the Polaris has plastic cargo trays). The next thing will probably be its compact size; at 72 inches long the 400 is close to 10 inches shorter (lengthwise) than just about every other machine in the comparison.
Despite measuring in at a length deficit, the Sportsman actually feels just as roomy as its competitors. Ergonomically, the Polaris is spot-on in all areas except for the floorboards/footpegs/rear brake area. The floorboards tend to get slick feeling, and the motor sticks so far out over them on the right side that it's hard to find the rear brake pedal. Another problem was the lack of rear brakes on the handlebar, which was compounded by the brake pedal access issue. The instrumentation is quite nice, with digital LED readouts for the speedometer, odometer, tripmeter and hourmeter. The shift lever isn't our favorite design, as it's just big and odd and in contrast to the sleek feel of the rest of the machine. The sound the Polaris makes upon starting has you questioning whether it might explode and took some getting used to. With all that out of the way, we'll move onto the one thing that the Sportsman hands-down destroyed its competitors with: storage. The Polaris's cargo trays open up to reveal a glorious, roomy storage compartment with enough room for tools, drinks, straps and spare goggles. The compartment works so well that it had our test riders fighting over the unit.
Brakingwise, the Polaris will stop on a dime--if you can find the brake pedal. The problem is so easily remedied that I'll be surprised if a hand-actuated rear brake isn't included on future versions of the machine.
The steering and suspension are awesome on the Sportsman 400, and it's comfortable at just about any speed over any terrain. The Polaris just plain shined on every lap of every loop it endured. At low speeds, it felt nimble enough to throw around, and at high speeds it felt like a sport quad. The suspension is plush and forgiving, and the steering is completely predictable.
In the power department the Polaris enjoys a pretty big advantage as its 455cc displacement is the largest of the bunch. The power delivery isn't as torquey as we expected, but rather deceivingly smooth and high revving. Despite the lack of a torquey feeling, we were able to pull wheelies on command and power over and through every obstacle on either loop. When loaded with cargo or towing equipment, the Polaris functioned like a typical workhorse.
The Polaris was probably the biggest surprise of the entire comparison. The Sportsman 400 H.O. is the sportiest machine we tested and most comfortable at high speeds. At low speeds and in technical situations, it shines equally, and the deceptive power makes it a blast to ride. A purely recreational rider couldn't go wrong with the Sportsman, with the exception of the rear brake issue there's nothing to keep you from flat out flying down trails. In purely work applications, the 400 can hold its own with the best of them; our biggest concern is that it might entice you to skip work and go play.